GRAND RAPIDS, MI (July 6, 2016) — Grand Rapids, Michigan-based cooperative CUSO Xtend and Seattle, Washington-based Zipwhip announced a new partnership that enables the credit union customers of Xtend to use their existing landline, VoIP, and toll free phone numbers for two-way text messaging with their members. By giving members “Choice over Voice” and allowing them to engage with credit unions in any medium they prefer, Xtend and Zipwhip believe that this new partnership will further strengthen the credit unions’ already member first engagement strategies.

Xtend President Scott Collins said: “We are excited to introduce Zipwhip’s solutions to our network of credit unions. This service will help our credit unions leverage a new channel of communication for their members, and do so cost-effectively. We encourage our customer-owners to deploy as many communication channels as possible so the member can choose the one that best suits them, and I see Zipwhip filling a valuable gap for members that prefer interacting via text.”

Zipwhip CEO John Lauer added: “We are excited to partner with Xtend and complement their member retention strategies with two-way texting. Because our platform doesn’t require opt-in and is designed for conversational and informational messaging, we align with the engagement models and initiatives of credit unions of all asset sizes.”

“Combined, we now offer a suite of products and services enabling credit unions to implement a comprehensive omni-channel approach to member engagement.” said Lauer.

Zipwhip is the productivity tool that lets businesses and customers text each other. Zipwhip text-enables your existing (landline, VoIP, or toll free) business number. With direct connections to tier 1 carriers, Zipwhip is the trusted, scalable solution to business texting.